


In the end, we shall thrive

by Someone_end_me



Category: Original Work
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, Gender-Neutral Character, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Gender-ambiguous character, M/M, Multi, Original Character(s), Original Fiction, Post-Apocalypse, Zombie Apocalypse, gimme that good good constructive criticism, i want feedback yall, personal work, this is a personal project
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-29
Updated: 2020-01-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:12:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22468438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Someone_end_me/pseuds/Someone_end_me
Summary: this is a personal fiction story of mine that I wanted to post and get feedback on so that I can improve my writing. I've always been a sucker for apocalypse stories so thats what it is.To say the world had gone to shit would be putting it too harshly, the world was already shit before the mutation reared it fascinating little head six years ago. Aside from the Government Public Living Outposts, most cities weren't cities anymore, more like abandoned rows of almost identical houses.
Relationships: OC/OC





	In the end, we shall thrive

To say the world had gone to shit would be putting it too harshly, the world was already shit before the mutation reared it fascinating little head six years ago. Aside from the Government Public Living Outposts, most cities weren't cities anymore, more like abandoned rows of almost identical houses.

Houses that still had electricity were annoying and not worth the effort to maintain, most of the circuit breaker boxes sparking and torn apart but gripping unfeasibly to functionality. The clicking noise that they sometimes made was grating to her overly sensitive ears, not to mention it attracted mutated. 

Houses with running water, however, were a fucking godsend. Especially if they still had a functioning water heater. Nowadays, a hot shower was all you needed to feel rejuvenated after a long day of running for your fucking life, granted half of the time there wasn't any soap, or shampoo, or conditioner, but, ya know, you make do. The fact that the gunk and sweat were being washed off was good enough for most.

"Anne, hurry up! You're not the only one here covered in gunk." Amelia's voice pulled her out of her thoughtless introspection, quickly rubbing the more stubborn mud and blood that had caked onto her legs. The lack of soap was grating, unable to get some of the old bloodstains out of her leg hair.

"I'm done." She didn't yell, didn't like doing it, so she merely spoke to the door, knowing that Amelia would still be waiting on the other side. "Do you know where Micheal put his towel? I need something for my hair." Brushing the water off of her arms and legs, shaking like a dog, she squished her hair in her hands in a grinding motion.

Amelia opened the door, eyeing her up and down and giving an approving hum. The towel in her hand smelled a little musty, a mixture of dick and balls combined with a bit of mold made for an exciting time for her nose. Toweling off her crotch and wrapping the towel around her head to hold her hair in place while it takes its sweet time to dry.

"Are there enough towels for everyone? I know Jimmy and A-Jax already shared a towel, now me and Micheal. I know I'm missing at least three more."

"Janeene, H.D, and me. H.D said they didn't want a shower today, it would be, and I quote, better to wait till our damn pansy asses are done so that they can shower in hot water instead of lukewarm. Here are your clothes; cleaned 'em up best I could."

Slipping the two sports bras up and over her chest, Amelia helping her when they got stuck on her still damp skin. "No underwear?" Sliding into a pair of newer cargo shorts, she jumped up and down to settle them more into her body.

"Nah, not yet. Once we're all done, H.D said they'd wash 'em. You're gonna have to go commando, for now, hun." Amelia flipped her blonde mop up and over her shoulder and peeled off her shirts. Amelia wasn't ripe like the rest of the group, smelling only slightly of sweat. The ripped up skinny jeans joined the ever-growing pile of clothes on the broken tile floor. "Hey, Anne, could you go scrounging for a new pair of pants, those are getting close to their final days."

Averting her gaze from Amelia's flat chest, she nodded. Grabbing the old jeans and glancing at the size, an eight, and the brand, Levi.

"Long or short?"

"What?" Amelia turned to look at her, hands moving the blonde mop up onto the top of her head. "Oh, long jeans, please, I'm used to the heat. Growing up in fuck-all-nowhere-Texas tends to do that to a girl."

Amelia's smile was blinding; her teeth only slightly piss yellow. She had crows feet and smile lines, a dimple graced her left cheek. Sun freckles dotted her cheeks just under her eyes. She was blindingly perfect.

It took too long for her to leave Amelia to shower. She wanted to climb in with her, spend even more time with her. But forming deep connections wasn't something that she usually did; it had never and most likely will never turn out good.

"Got it." Amelia gave her another blinding smile before she disappeared behind the shower curtain.

Jimmy and Janeene were curled together on the couch when she walked in the living room, talking or signing in hushed whispers and giggles inches from the others' faces. Micheal had folded himself up into a pretzel on the broken recliner with a book, a blanket draped over his shoulders, and tucked between his knees. The soft light of the candles they'd discovered in the house earlier illuminating his face. A-Jax and H.D were nowhere to be found, but she could hear faint noises coming from the garage.

Climbing the stairs two at a time, sometimes three at a time to avoid a particularly weak-looking step, she arrived at the bedrooms. A glance to her left showed a nursery, and if she were anyone else, her heart would have ached at the state of it. The master bedroom held promising results, a few flannels that would be suitable for winter and a couple leather belts, only slightly crusty. There was a blouse that Jimmy would have liked but wouldn't offer enough protection for her to bother grabbing it.

She found a couple of work boots, still decent quality with durable laces, a size that would work for A-Jax, and one that would work for Janeene. The rest could be used for trading if the car in the garage worked.

No pants for Amelia, though.

The next bedroom appeared to belong to a teen boy, one who favored larger clothing or was larger in build. Grabbing a couple more jeans and shirts, she left the room. Micheal would enjoy going through the collection of comics and books the boy had kept; she wouldn't touch them, paranoid she would damage them before Micheal could enjoy them.

Still no pants, her only hope was the last room. Decorated in bright pinks and soft purples with bizarre-looking rock band and boy band posters hanging limply on the walls. And in a pile next to hamper was a pair of size eight jeans, American Eagle but they should do. She could expand the pockets with extra fabric.

On a vanity tucked into a corner, she found hair clips with strange rocks on them. Amelia liked keeping her hair up. Maybe she would like the odd hair clips.

It would do nobody any good if she just left them there.

Her mood lightened. First, she was able to get somewhat clean; then, she found plenty of new clothes for the group and a gift for Amelia. Was it a gift? Or just something cool she grabbed, like when Jimmy found that cat necklace. But Jimmy kept that for herself, and she was giving these hair clips away, so they were a gift. Weren't they?

The sound of the shower stopped, and she heard the faint background noise of talking raise a little in volume. H.D and A-Jax must be done with the car.

Amelia had a shirt on, the seam of her tank top sticking to her still damp skin, but her lower half covered in just a towel, the smell of it only slightly tinged with dust. She was talking with H.D and A-Jax about the car, being in the same vein of crazy as the two of them when it came to cars.

"The engine is fine, but the damn gaslight won't shut off, so there must be a leak somewhere cause we put in a gallon, but I can't see the fuck for the life of me." Taking the stairs three at a time and jumping the last four, she landed right behind H.D, though they weren't scared or surprised. The two of them had known each other too long for H.D to be startled by anything she did.

"Hey, Anney-Waney," that wasn't a good sign, "can you pop under the body of the old Ford Explorer Sport and look for the gas leak."

Bastard.

"If I get gas in my eye again, I'm gonna punch you."

"I'd deserve it." H.D slapped her ass and gave her a toothy smile, the front first, and the third tooth to left missing. She remembered when they had knocked them out. They'd decided to jump from the top of a fence into an empty pool. Granted, H.D didn't have a choice, being surrounded by mutated tended to limit the actions you could do. And she had been busy killing the ones in the house they elected to camp in.

"I'll take those clothes from you, sugar, so you can go help your boo." Amelia threw her a wink, grabbing the pile of clothes from her hands. Amelia's hands were smooth, only slightly roughened by time and the hard life they all lead.

"Your pants are on the top. Along with, um, some hair clips that I found. Thought you would like 'em." She watched Amelia's blinding smile, the little dimple seeming to form in slow motion with how intently she was watching Amelia's face. 

"Thank you so much, darlin'!" Amelia put the pile of clothes on the floor, slipped on her new pair of jeans, and examined the hair clips. "I think these are real tigers eye!" She slipped one of the clips into her hair. "Here's a kiss on the cheek as thanks, love. Now help H.D figure out that car, so we don't have to walk."

H.D had already grabbed a sharpie and put a scratched up skateboard by the edge of the car when she walked in. Giving her a knowing smile, he handed her the sharpie and gestured grandly to the skateboard.

"Do your thing, ya little kiss ass."

Moving under the old ford, she sniffed around to try and find the source of the gas leak. Pushing her back into the old skateboard, she looked more toward to front of the car.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Looking to her left, she saw the tiniest puddle of gas with a drip, drip, drip coming from the smallest little pipe. Marking the pipe with a red sharpie, she put her hands on a seemingly useless metal rod and pushed.

"Well, I don't know jack shit about cars, but from what I saw, I'd assume that the majority of the gas is leaking into the car somewhere and not out of it. I marked a small pipe with sharpie where the gas is coming out, but that's the best I can do for you."

"Well, tits." H.D scratched his candy caramel-colored hair and took the skateboard from her. "How much gas did ya smell?"

"Not much, why?"

Sliding out from under the car with a victorious whoop, H.D popped up with a giant grin.

"Just a tiny gas leak won't affect jack diddly, nothing a little liberal duct tape won't fix. I guess the gas gage is just shot to high heaven and back again, so we'll have to be aware of that. Schedule in engine checks." H.D tapped the lid for the gas tank, rubbing their beard. "Come and smell this, I want you to know what a fullish gas tank smells like."

Great, now the smell of gas will be stuck in her nose for the rest of the day. Maybe she could shove her head into Amelia's curls to get rid of it. H.D would smell too much like the gas she was trying to free herself of, so she wouldn't snuggle up to them too much tonight.

"Sorry, Anne, I'll find something to get the scent out of your little nosey." H.D's smile was bright and a little crazy, a little bit of pink tongue peeking out of the space left by the missing tooth.

"Thanks, puppy." She left, having fone her part, to the tune of H.D mumbling something about wishing she'd forgotten that nickname.

The smell of the gas kept making her nose twitch and itch; it felt like something psychical was stuck in there, crawling around in her sinus'. 

"Hey, sweet-tea, what's with the sour face?" Amelia had been playing a card game with Micheal, the old deck ratty and faded but still perfectly functional. "Smell something funny?" Her smirk was razor-sharp like daisies.

"Yes." She shattered onto the floor behind Amelia, shoving her nose inside the golden mess near Amelia's shoulder. She didn't realize just how tired she was.

"Well, you just stay there till ya nose decides to get back to sorts, honeybun." Honeybun, that was a new one. Amelia's southern accent thick and heavy around the syllables, dripping with the remnants of heat and the sweetly aged scent of bluebells.

Gorgeous.

For the first time in days, she let her mind wander, conjuring images from the innocent to the lewd. Fat bumblebees that swarmed the overgrown cosmos in Alabama; Water dripping from Amelia's lips when they swam in the lake in Colorado. H.D sweaty, hands greased with motor oil and blood while they fixed the old Chevy that carried their group across Oklahoma.

Well, shit, now she was horny.

But she didn't mind too much, letting her mind continue it's path twisting and turning between thoughts and memories and ideas. Groups of mutated huddled together on the frozen mountain hills of Wyoming, flesh eaten through by the mutation and oozing a greyish green slime from their noses and mouths. Jimmy and Janeene huddled together around a campfire, telling strangely comforting ghost stories Jimmy learned from one of her many summer camps.

"Checkmate." Micheal threw his cards down on the coffee table with a smug grin, teeth a pale old yellow with a chip in the fourth one to the right, his cloudy grey eye shimmering like wet clay in the candlelight.

"That ain't even the game we're playing, sugar, but I'll concede. You're damn good at poker." Amelia was giggling like a bell, broken and cracked and light and cheery.

"Hey, Micheal," he peeked at her over the rest of his hand, "I found comics in one of the bedrooms, forgot to tell you."

"Holy shit!" Micheal popped up, dropping yet another winning hand, and sprinted up the stairs, taking the same pattern of skipping steps as she did.

"What a nerd." Janeene gave a raspy giggle at Jimmy, her eyes soft with love and affection, the twinge of fear locked outside the walls of the house.

Idiot girl. Lovable idiot girl, she was; even if the walls are sturdy and the window shutters closed, you never let go of your fear. It kept you sharp enough to stay alive.

But relaxing was good too, just because she was hyper-aware of the mutated that was pawing at the back door, drawn by the dull noise of their half-whispered talking, didn't mean that Janeene or anyone else had to be. If it became a concern, she would mention it, and they all knew that.

She liked to believe the one thing her little trope could trust was the fact that she would never put them in danger without a useful purpose. Her senses are sharper than anyone else's, a keen awareness of those things allowed them to put their trust in her.

Her little ragtag team of a family meant more to her than anything. She would rather die than put them through any more hell than they already have to suffer through every day.

"Alrighty, y'all! We got a car!" Everyone softly whooped and hollered when H.D and A.Jax came into the living room. "I say since we have some time to relax, we do some truth tellin' over dinner."

"You're gonna have to go get Micheal, sugar. Anne found some comics upstairs, and if we don't get the boy now, we'll never see him again." Jannene's wheezy laugh sounded through the room.

_ I'll get him. I like scaring him. _ Jannene wiggled her way out the blanket cocoon she was sharing with Jimmy, almost tripping when the fabric got caught on her foot.

She snickered at the couple, standing and stretching her stiff legs, fixing Amelia's hair with one of the pins. H.D poked her cheek, a sly grin plastered on his face, missing teeth in plain view.

"A.Jax." The man looks up at her from his book, always seeming to have one even though no one knows where he kept them. "Help me make dinner?"

A.Jax nodded, scratching his beard. He needed a shave, then again she could go for one too.

"The silent superheroes are going to make our food, man, that'll be entertainin'."

Neither of them spoke all too often, A.Jax never shared the reason why he didn't, but she just wasn't used to talking. When it was just H.D and her, they never minded whether or not she chatted. Whenever A.Jax and her did anything together, H.D found it hilarious; she wasn't exactly sure what was so funny about the two of them.

It's not that strange to communicate in solely noises, right?

Dinner consisted of refried beans cooked over a camp stove. They were getting too close to running low on food for her liking. She'd have to plan out a scavenger hunt for some more food, now that they had a car they could grab perishables as well. There was a garden in a house a few blocks down that didn't look too destroyed.

It's not like they couldn't carry perishables when they were stuck walking, but they tended to need more, which made the bags heavier. Not only that, but when they were walking, there were fewer opportunities to eat, so the food went sour relatively fast.

But now that they had a car, a nice big car, they could grab more food. Eating while driving wouldn't get you arrested anymore, mostly because the police officers on the road were either mutated or dead, so there would be more snacking. And the extra food would be great for trading if they came to any outposts, perishables like veggies and fruits are extremely valuable, especially for outposts with kids.

"Oh yeah, Anne," H.D looked up from his deck of cards, apparently joining the game while she was lost in thought, "I found a nice smellin' lavender candle in the downstairs bathroom, think that'll work to get the smell of gas outta your little nosy?"

Lavender wasn't the best smell, reminded her too much of cleaner, but it was better than gasoline, most smells were. Except for pecan, anything that had a pecan-y aroma instantly made her gag.

She didn't necessarily know why, but it did regardless.

"Yeah." She looked up from the beans she was stirring, pointing to the sink and muttering a quick 'check it' to A.Jax. "Make sure to sit close to it, you smell."

"Aww, Anney, I'm wounded." H.D and Amelia snickered to each other, their love of poking fun at her something that helped them get over their weird football rivalry. She'd always wondered why they were so obsessed with football; she also didn't know what football was, and at this point, she was too afraid to ask. Last time she asked H.D about a sport something they spent a good hour or longer talking about the intricacies of hockey... while running from mutated. That had been a memorable time and one of the few moments where she'd been tempted to deck 'em right in their stupidly cute crooked nose.

"Clean." A.Jax muttered to her, voice gruff from disuse. Anne breathed a small sigh of relief, glancing at the water testing kit before returning to the beans. Just because they bathed in the water didn't mean it was safe to drink, a lot of people who made that mistake ended up dead. It was just a good thing they only had to worry about the typical stuff, p.h, parasites, lead, that kind of shit; the virus that caused the mutated cells to activate couldn't survive in water. They could clean any wounds before and after a shower to clear out anything in the water; rubbing alcohol was a gift from the gods, in her opinion.

"Anne, how much longer." Jimmy sounded a little putout, probably because she was hungry, granted they all were.

"Not much." She stirred the beans once more before letting them simmer a little longer. "Can was dented, don't want any active Clostridium Botulinum to survive if they were in the can.

"Anne, you're a great friend, and I love you dearly, but what in the actual fuck does that mean?" Turning to look behind her, instead of staring at the beans, silently daring them to hurt her friends, she saw Jimmy glaring at her.

"It causes botulism, a type of food poisoning but like 10 times worse. They're actually everywhere, but they activate when in a dark, low oxygen environment and like to fuck shit up in your body. Cooking stuff kills 'em." H.D didn't look up from their hand of cards, having asked that same question years ago, and subsequently living through her possibly over-zealous explanation. They'd refused to eat canned food for a while after that. Except not really, cause ya know, that's all there was most times.

"By the way, Micheal" removing the beans, finally, and grabbing the slightly chipped bowls that A.Jax had presumably found and rinsed off, she started dishing out everyone's serving, "I want you to pick out you're favorite of those comics and the ones you think would be good for trading." Turning, she handed the boy a bowl of beans, smirking at his slumped shoulders and pout.

"Give it up, man, no one can sneak up on Anne. Believe me, I've tried every possible way, all end up in bumpkis. Can't even get her to think I'm a mutated and deck me like I'm one of them haunted house actors."

"Spoilsport." Micheal slumped into the chair he was in earlier, glaring at his beans as if the brown lumps were the reason for his failed sneak attack.

**Author's Note:**

> constructive feedback and comments are always welcomed. tell me what you think folks! what do you like, what can be improved, can I add anything to make it better/more interesting/more engaging?


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